Driver rescued in Santa Cruz Mountains after plummeting into creek
(KRON) — A motorist in the Santa Cruz Mountains careened off Felton Empire Road, plummeted 200 feet down an embankment, and landed in a creek during Wednesday night’s rainy weather.
The crash happened around 7:30 p.m. near Kiln Road in Santa Cruz County. The driver’s vehicle landed so far down the mountainside that it was not visible in the darkness to rescue crews, according to Cal Fire CZU.
“Responding firefighters couldn’t see anything due to pitch black conditions in the forest and heavy rain, but they could hear faint yelling,” Cal Fire CZU officials wrote.
“They determined the vehicle location by sound of yelling and tire tracks. They quickly set up a rope rescue system. In (a) cold downpour surrounded by potentially compromised trees in slippery mud, they lowered firefighters to find it in a creek. They pulled one patient to safety,” fire officials wrote.
Two rainstorm systems in the forecast this weekend
Rescue crews with Cal Fire, Santa Cruz County Fire Department, Felton Fire Department, state parks, and the California Highway Patrol completed the challenging rope rescue two hours later. The driver suffered minor injuries and was hospitalized.
Cal Fire officials wrote, “This is why our firefighters constantly train rope rescue techniques in many locations.”
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